The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-25
CATTLE CULTURE.
The Live Stock in
Utah Territory.
THE OUTLOOK BRIGHT.
The Value Of High Breeding
and Its Effects.
HON. ABE HATCH on CATTLE,
Sheep and the Presidents MessaRe-
Mr.. j H. Whites Ideas-Messrs
Andrews and WOOlley's
Opinions
HON. ABE HATCH on CATTLE

At the present time, the cattle indus
try of Utah is in quiescent state.
Prices are lower than usual. But this
fact does not disturb those interested in
the business, for the reason that owners
are not over anxious to sell. In order
to become as familiar with the subject
as possible, and get the most recent
facts, THE HERALD wrote a number of
pro HineLt cattlemen throughout the
Territory, asking their views en- the
present condition of cattle and sheep,
and made personal inquiries from
others. OF course this subject is treated
elsewhere by Mr.. FOrhan, secretary of
the Chamber of Commerce, in an article
contributed by him, and only a few
facts are necessary in this connection
We have received communications from
Mr.. Andrus, in the South; Hon. A
Hatch IN the East; and Mr.. Woolley
in the North. These gentlemen all
speak very favorably of the outlook.
The weather is the great medium
through which cattle are pulled" and
cleared" in this section. A light fall
Of snow during winter, and dry sum-
mer and fall inevitably begeU a feeling
OF depression among the owners of
range cattle. The reverse condition of
the seasons, beget corresponding diff
ference in the sensations animating the
cattle kings herea bout. The snow fall
has been light for few years past, the
summers and falls inclined to dryuess,
and the losses in range cattle have been
somewhat heavier than usual. The
conditions this season, until re Gently,
were those of years Immediately pre-
ceding, only the evils we're increased.
The recent storms, however, have made
q remarkable change in the conditions,
and while the feed is not as plentiful
as it could be wished for on the more
desirable ranges, the recent snow
storm will enable cattle to go on to
ranges which, without snow, cannot be
ut ilized because of absence of water.
The greater part of the information
in this article was obtained from Mr..
]. II. White, of the firm of White &
Sons, cattle men and butchers.
The western country has suffered, the
last three or four years, from droI th,
in consequence of which feed has been
scarce; and the cattle are probably as
thin, Tor thinner) than ever before since
that part of the country was first used
IOI 1dlSl4S USSls Duj ISpOItS, GuS 1dSL
two or three days, sa" there has been q
larger fall of snow than for many
years. This will enable cattle to get
feed they have not had before on &C.
count of the fact that they were pre-
vented from going onto the desert, be
cause they could get no water. The
feed there has hardly been touched for
some time, but the recent snow storm
has raised the hopes Of the cattlemen
in that region materially. Some three
weeks ago it was thought that 90 per
cent of the cattle would surely die, but
now they will probably pull through"
the winter with loss of 10 or Is percent.
MIR. White stated that in the north
east, west, and northwest, the outlook,
on account of the storms is much better
than for many months past. As to the
market, beef IS as high here as at any
place, but the superabundance of cattle
on the Chicago markets has brought
the values down. [ believe the value
of cattle is higher here than any where
else in the United States, and the rea-
son we are higher is due to the fact that
the local markets consume a great deal,
and there is not much of a surplus.
Prices will undoubtedly be higher in
the spring than now, from the fact that
the market has been pretty we'll flooded
with cattle from the range. But here
after most of the cattle put on the
market will be fed. and this year there
is much less fed cattle, which will make
the market higher in the spring than
for some years past.The beef raised here
is as good or better than that raised
in any other part of the United Stat
and if cattle here were fed on corn, as
in other sections, our beef would excel.
Q-What do you think the policy
should be in raising cattle for beef?
A-People should never have more
cattle than they can well provide for.
If man has a small herd, and puts
them on good range and takes good
care to improve them, in five years his
results will be far superior to what they
would be should he undertake to nam
tain larger number than he could
well keep, and let them run out on the
range and provide for themselves
Some men have run large herds of cat
tie on ranges where more succ ssful
ones have taken them from because
they could not be sustained here prop
erly. If these had taken fewer num-
Der, and given them better range, his
results would have been much better.
Q-What about the erection of pack
ing houses hereP
A-There may be some built here for
local use. l think there WILL but to
supply the eastern market would be
impossible at present because Chicago
men have control of the trade
Q.-What about the prospects of sheep?
A.-Sheep are going into winter qua
tiers much better this year than for
many previous enss; and in conse-
quence OF these storms, they should
pull through the winter very success
fully-much more so than the lastatwo
years.
Sheep men are laboring very assidu-
ouslY to improve their herds, both as